"The first victory we can claim is that our hearts are free of hatred. Hence we say to those who persecute us and who try to dominate us: ‘You are my brother. I do not hate you, but you are not going to dominate me by fear. I do not wish to impose my truth, nor do I wish you to impose yours on me. We are going to seek the truth together’. THIS IS THE LIBERATION WHICH WE ARE PROCLAIMING."
Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas (2002)

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Cuba: Negligence, Indifference & the Madhouse of Death

What is indifference? Etymologically, the word means "no difference." A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil. Elie Wiesel, The Perils of Indifference

Over the past week while the world has rightfully focused on the natural disaster that has killed tens of thousands of innocent Haitians destroying the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere necessitating an international wave of solidarity and assistance to prevent an even greater tragedy. Neighboring Cuba continues to suffer through a man made disaster that over the past week has been guilty of indifference to those too infirm to take care of themselves leading to 26 needless deaths.

“Never in the history of the republic have so many hospital patients died -- avoidable deaths. …The most irritating thing is that the government is keeping silent. … This is a great tragedy, not a hurricane, not an earthquake, but criminal negligence by a government characterized by its general inefficiency.”

According to the Cuban Commission for Human Rights, Cuba does not accept the cooperation of the International Commission of the Red Cross (ICRC) or other nongovernment organizations that "could prevent situations dangerous to the health of people in psychiatric hospitals, prisons . . . and other entities." For example since 1959 the ICRC was only granted access to Cuban prisonsonce in 1989 over 20 years ago.

It makes one wonder whether in addition to Mazorra there is another madhouse at the Council of State of the Cuban dictatorship or worse a profound indifference to human suffering of those who cannot fend for themselves by those running an absolutist totalitarian dictatorship?